They called it dust. For thousands of families, that dust would turn into a diagnosis years later cancer from asbestos-contaminated clothing.
But what really came home on work clothes from steel mills, power plants, and chemical facilities was something else entirely: asbestos.
🧺 The Danger Nobody Told You About
In Weirton, Wheeling, Clairton, and industrial towns across Pennsylvania and West Virginia, workers brought home more than paychecks. The overalls, jackets, and gloves they wore were often coated in asbestos fibers — microscopic and deadly.
Their wives shook out the clothes before washing them.
Their children hugged them at the door.
Their families breathed the dust.
And now — some of them are sick.
💔 When the Exposure Was Never Yours — But the Cancer from asbestos cotaminated clothing Is
This type of exposure cancer from asbestos-contaminated-clothing is commonly called secondary exposure or take-home exposure — and courts have recognized it as a legitimate cause of mesothelioma and lung cancer.
You didn’t weld the pipe.
You didn’t install the insulation.
But you handled the clothes — and that was enough.
⚖️ What You Can Do if Diagnosed with Cancer from Asbestos-Contaminated-clothing
If someone in your household has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer, and another family member worked at a site known for asbestos exposure, you may still have a case.
Common job sites linked to this type of exposure include:
- Weirton Steel
- PPG Natrium
- Bethlehem Steel
- Clairton Coke Works
- Duquesne Light
- U.S. Navy shipyards
📞 Call (412) 781-0525 or